SWTOR - The Davire Curse: Crisis on Umbara
by Elviah
Summary: Seyje stepped down from Commander, and her sister Saiyah has taken her place. When they pick up a lead on who the traitor is within the Alliance, they immediately leap at the chance, but the betrayal turns out to be from a very different person than they were expecting.
1. Chapter 1

Theron hunched over the console, his fingers moving like a blur. He didn't have much time. It was now or never, and if he waited too much longer, the chance would be gone forever. For a brief instant of a second, Theron's heart sank.

 _If only there was another way…_

An alert grabbed his attention, and with a few quick swipes, he was able to redirect his focus to the inbox. It was a message from Iokath.

Ever since the Empire's Wrath, Darth Seyje, had been reunited with her long-lost husband, the responsibility of Alliance Commander had fallen to her sister, Master Saiyah. The result of this had been an alliance with the Republic during the war on Iokath, despite their previous relationship with the Empire with Seyje was still in charge. Needless to say, the aftermath had been…chaotic.

Theron heard footsteps approaching and quickly shut down the console. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Saiyah walking towards him with Seyje at her side. Interesting. Seyje hadn't been an active presence on the base for a few months now, but the events surrounding the traitor in the Alliance no doubt pulled her back into the action.

"Commander. Fresh news from the war on Iokath," Theron reported, directing it at Saiyah.

She stopped, folding her hands in front of her thighs as she waited patiently. Seyje, on the other hand, folded her hands behind her back in a fashion quite similar to her significant other.

"Imperial gunners shot down one of our transports. The Republic's helping us recover our losses, but we're locked in a stalemate," Theron explained.

Seyje's brow furrowed, and she shot a glare at Saiyah. "You revoked our alliance with Darth Acina and didn't tell me?"

Saiyah was not surprised by the question. She stood her ground, but there was no mistaking the hint of regret in her voice. "You chose to step down from Commander, Seyje. I was left with a choice, and I chose the Republic because I know I can trust them."

"What you did was make the Alliance look indecisive," Seyje snapped heatedly. "Neither the Empire nor the Republic will ever fully trust us now."

The former Sith had a point. In turning her back on the Empire and choosing an alliance with the Republic, the reputation of the Alliance had changed significantly. Theron had picked up on all kinds of nasty rumors from the holonet, calling the Alliance dirty backstabbers and hiding their true desire for galactic dominance. None of it was true, but it was a hard point to dispute after Saiyah's recent decision.

"We can argue about this later," Saiyah shot back, returning her attention to Theron. "What about the hunt for the traitor in our ranks?"

Seyje made a loud huff of annoyance, earning a glare from Saiyah, but she said nothing more on the matter.

"We're questioning everyone from the usual suspects to your top advisors," Theron said, followed by a disappointed sigh. "So far, everyone looks clean. We'll find the traitor, but these mole hunts take time."

"We don't have time," Seyje retorted harshly. "Whoever it is tried to kill my sister, and I want to make them pay for it."

Saiyah was quiet for a moment, silently accepting Seyje's remark. It was already a well-known fact that the two remaining Davire sisters were devoutly protective of each other. Seyje's emotions just tended to flare up more often due to her Sith upbringing.

"I know how much energy you're putting into this, Theron. It means a lot to me," Saiyah murmured with a grateful smile.

The words pushed on Theron's chest, tempting him to walk from this cliff he was heading towards, but they would not be enough to turn his feet from the path he was on.

"And you mean a lot to me," he replied. "I'd do anything to protect you."

The hair on the back of Seyje's neck immediately stood on end. That wasn't how Theron normally spoke to his romantic partner.

 _Something's wrong. His tone of voice is…off._

Her telepathic message must not have gone through, however, as Seyje noticed the starry-eyed expression on her sister's face.

"Theron Shan, are you getting romantic on me?" Saiyah asked with a grin, taking a step towards the spy.

"Is it working?" he retorted, reaching his arm out around her waist and pulling her into a kiss.

Seyje quickly looked away, not out of respect for them, but because there was this sudden nagging in her gut that something was not right. She cared too much for her sister to say anything, and now was certainly not the time speak up. Her thoughts were interrupted by Theron's disappointed voice.

"Now if only I could produce results."

Adjacent footsteps caught everyone's attention as Lana came walking into the room.

"Lighten up, Theron. Things aren't all doom and gloom."

She had an unusually satisfied smirk on her face, which they all noticed.

"You look cheery today, Lana," Theron noted. "Did Gault spike the caf again?"

"Even better. I found a lead," Lana boasted.

Saiyah and Seyje both exchanged a glance of anticipation. Even having the rumor of a lead was more than they had found ever since the incident.

"Where? How?" Seyje asked curiously.

"Alliance agents picked up a signal from the Shadow World of Umbara," Lana explained. "It's encrypted with the same algorithm the traitor used on Iokath."

"I wonder if Kieyla's team has been able to crack its code yet," Saiyah wondered aloud.

Seyje shrugged. "She said they would get in touch if they had any luck. It must be a damn good encryption since we haven't heard anything from her about it."

Lana cleared her throat, indicating there was more, and the sisters immediately returned their attention to her.

"They are still on the planet – helping our Imperial rivals grab a massive stockpile of Adegan crystals."

Seyje's brow furrowed, her gaze shifting to her sister. "The traitor already lured _me_ into one ambush on Iokath. You can't just walk into another."

"She won't. This time, _I'll_ have her back," Theron promised.

The Sith wasn't convinced, and Saiyah noticed. Before she could question her sister's doubt, however, Lana spoke up.

"As will I. The Empire won't give up their precious crystals without a fight."

"That's no surprise. Adegan crystals are attuned to the Force," Saiyah noted. Her head tilted to the side, a curious expression on her face. "Could our traitor be working with the Jedi or Sith?" she wondered.

"It's possible. But Darth Malgus once discovered a use for them beyond lightsabers. He's gone, but the Empire may be continuing his work," Lana assumed.

"Hard for us to know when we've been gone for five years," Seyje remarked.

Her and Lana exchanged a glance. The Empire hadn't changed at all during that time, so it went without saying that the possibility of them pursuing Malgus' old project was high. The shrug in Theron's shoulder indicated he was ignoring the possibility.

"Both sides have tinkered with Adegan crystals for years. Part of an arms race to build a new arsenal of superweapons," Theron said.

"If we move quickly, we can corner the traitor and hijack those crystals. Intel says they're on an Umbaran supply train headed for the capital city," Lana explained.

Saiyah nodded. "Then we leave now. The traitor won't escape us this time."

She turned around and swiftly left the room with Theron and Lana at her heels. Seyje, on the other hand, trailed back a few steps. There was some reason for her to be suspicious, yes, but they could trust Theron, right? Was she being irrational to suspect something just from the way he spoke? The constant immersion in war had affected all of them. Maybe Theron was just tired.

 _I'm overthinking this, that's all._

And yet Seyje couldn't seem to convince herself otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

The train flew across the rocky planet of Umbara, the anti-gravity rings keeping it on the right track towards the city. The Alliance ship flew down just above it, the ramp extending out over the top of the train.

"The train is on the move – and the traitor's on board," Lana said as the four of them stepped out onto the ramp.

"Nothing we can't handle," Theron said nonchalantly.

Seyje cast him a suspicious glare, which was noticed by Saiyah.

 _What is the matter with you Seyje? You've been acting strangely the whole flight here._

 _Oh,_ now _you're noticing._

 _Noticing what? What are you talking about?_

 _Nothing, we'll talk about it later after the mission._

Saiyah shook her head with a sigh. With a swift move, she leapt down onto the metal surface of the train, and was soon followed by Seyje, Theron, and Lana. It took less than an hour for them to break inside and make their way up to the engine car.

The metal door opened with a clicking hiss. All four of them had their weapons at the ready. Theron, who was in the lead, waved his free hand to Lana and Seyje on the left, then to Saiyah on the right. The three women moved past him, their eyes focused on the closed door in front of them. Well, Saiyah's and Lana's. Seyje couldn't help but keep her attention towards Theron as she noticed how he was now walking behind the three of them.

"The traitor is on the other side of that door," Lana hissed.

She moved towards the red button on the wall while Seyje remained in place. Saiyah stopped just in front of the door with her twin lightsabers at the ready. Theron remained a few steps back, keeping his gun level with his eyes. Seyje heard Saiyah exhale quietly, and she could feel the nerves radiating off of her. Seyje felt the same, but for a completely different reason.

 _I don't sense any new presences around us…do they not notice that?_

Lana deactived her lightsaber and pressed her hand against the door. Saiyah's and Seyje's lightsabers flew up in front of their chests. It opened with the same clicking hiss to reveal an empty chair.

A stunned silence fell over the group. Lana put her lightsaber back on her belt, her mouth gaping. Saiyah's expression twisted into one of frustration as she did the same with her weapons. Seyje hesitated a moment but resigned to sheath hers as well.

Lana and Saiyah stepped into the small captain's room with Seyje on their heels.

"They're gone…" Saiyah muttered with frustration.

"That's impossible," Lana snapped irritably as she pulled a datapad from her belt. "According to the signal, they're still on the convoy…"

Just before Lana could finish her sentence, Seyje's senses snapped as she heard the reloading of a gun behind her. She whirled around, and her brain went into overdrive as she watched everything unfold. It was like things were moving in slow motion.

The furrow in his brow as he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Lana shouted, leaping in front of Saiyah as a single shot was fired from Theron's gun. Purple electricity danced across her body as she was stunned into unconsciousness.

The guilt in his eyes as he moved the barrel towards the Jedi.

Saiyah froze, unmoving, as her mind struggled to catch up with her eyes. She looked up, confused and uncertain.

"Theron?" Saiyah gasped, his name barely a whisper from her lips.

"It's over, "Commander," Theron snarled.

Saiyah barely had time to duck as two more shots whizzed past her head, shattering the window behind her. Both Davire sisters were forced to dodge as five more rapid-fire shots activated an energy shield around the doorway.

Seyje recovered first, straightening up and looking at a very angry looking Theron. Her sister's voice was barely a whisper in her mind.

 _This can't be happening…_

The telepathic shock from Saiyah stung Seyje to the core. Not because she expected it, but because it meant she had been right all along.

Theron's steely voice pulled Seyje back to reality. "In a few minutes, this train will collide with that mountain range. You'll be disintegrated, and I'll escape with the Adegan crystals."

He sounded so…callous. The SIS spy walked up to the shield generator, and Seyje's blood ran cold at how blank his facial expression was. She couldn't even imagine – well, she didn't need to imagine how Saiyah felt in the moment. She could feel it.

Blinding shock…disbelief…and pain. All colliding into each other with the strength of an angry Gundark.

"Don't worry. You won't feel a thing," Theron stated.

Seyje wanted to be angry. She wanted to threaten Theron and tell him she had the power to rip him to shreds where he stood. But she couldn't. For Saiyah's sake, she couldn't. The feeling of betrayal coursed through her veins like an old enemy, and it was a feeling now replicated in Saiyah's voice.

"Did you ever love me?" she hissed bitterly. "Or was that all part of the act?"

Seyje shut her eyes hard as tightly as she could upon hearing Saiyah. The way her voice trembled as she tried to confirm what was happening before her eyes. Seyje had tried to block out the memories, but a few sentences stood out vividly in her mind.

 _He forced my hand and I must side with him…I'm sorry it's come to this, my lord._

The Sith inhaled sharply, pushing the image of Quinn in the glowing red light from her mind. Her eyes once again fell on Theron, and she felt a rush of mixed emotions at seeing the guilt in his face.

"You know I love you," Theron admitted sincerely. "But this is bigger than us."

The SIS spy began to pace back and forth across the floor. His voice and body language took on a tone that made Seyje's blood boil. It was the same self-righteous emotion she had sensed inside Quinn during _his_ betrayal, which made Theron's next words feel all too familiar.

"Luring you into that trap on Iokath was just the beginning. Ever since Seyje defeated Valkorion, everything I've done has been towards one goal…the total destruction of the Eternal Alliance," Theron confessed.

Seyje's brow furrowed.

 _That's not true…he_ knows _that isn't true._

Saiyah bought it, however, and glared at him angrily. "You helped _build_ the Alliance. After everything we've been through, why tear it down now?" she accused.

"What I built was an end to the Eternal Empire, not this," he retorted, though not as aggressively as Seyje expected.

The pacing across the floor began once more, only this time, his gaze shifted to Seyje.

"I followed you because I believed you'd end the cycle of war. I thought we'd finally be free once you took down Valkorion."

"We _are_ free, Theron!" Seyje interjected.

Her statement seemed to startle Saiyah, as if she had momentarily forgotten her sister was still standing there.

"There is no more Eternal Empire! Valkorion and Vaylin are gone, and Arcann joined us as an ally to prove that Zakuul is ready for change."

Theron stopped in the middle of the floor, his expression twisting with…anger? No. No, that was a look of disgust on his face.

 _Why?_

"You're missing the point," Theron growled. "The Alliance outgrew you. Now it's rotting from the inside, the galaxy's fighting back, and _you've_ become a symbol of oppression."

Seyje's jaw dropped. What was he talking about?

 _This doesn't make any sense._

Theron's gaze shifted to Saiyah. "So much for your dreams of peace," he scoffed.

Was this really happening? Was Theron truly telling them that he never believed in the Eternal Alliance from the start?

 _No. No, this can't be right. Theron would never turn against us like this. He has to be lying._

 _I…I don't think he is, Seyje._

The Sith glanced over at her sister in stunned silence. Saiyah bottom lip was trembling, her right hand quivering as her mind starting grasping the reality of the situation they were in. Despite this, Saiyah was still fighting against the truth – or lie, Seyje couldn't decide – that was being laid out in front of her.

"Then let's find a solution together. I want peace as much as you, Theron!" Saiyah begged.

Theron's eyes narrowed. "I believed that… _once_ ," he said scornfully.

"If you topple the Alliance, millions will die!"

"If that's the cost of peace, so be it."

He returned to his place in the center of the floor and stood before the two Davire sisters. The energy field wasn't the only barrier between them now.

"Thirty seconds to impact," Theron murmured. "This is goodbye."

Seyje's heart lurched as he turned away to leave. Even the worst spy in the world would've been able to hear the regret in his voice. Her eyes widened slightly as a realization washed over her.

 _He doesn't want to leave us…leave Saiyah…_

"Theron," Seyje said pleadingly.

He paused in his step, locking eyes with the Sith. This was her one chance, maybe her _only_ chance to change his mind. Whatever was going on inside his head was not the Theron that they knew.

"Don't do this. Please don't do this," she begged.

For a brief instant, it seemed like he was listening, but the SIS spy turned his back on them and kept walking away. The shaking of his head didn't go unnoticed by the Sith. Her Jedi sibling didn't see it.

"I'll always love you Theron!" Saiyah called out desperately. "Nothing will ever change that!"

A single tear slipped from her eye, and Seyje knew from experience that it would be the first of many. While Saiyah's gaze remained on the empty doorway, Seyje looked over to see Lana pushing herself to her feet.

"Lana! Theron escaped," Seyje said quickly as she helped her fellow Sith to her feet.

The entire train suddenly shook violently as an automated voice rang out overhead.

"Warning. Collision imminent. Brace for impact."

A few curses slipped through Lana's lips. "We need to survive long enough to make Theron pay," she hissed angrily.

Her and Seyje's eyes shifted to the broken window. Seyje grabbed Saiyah's arm, roughly yanking her from her dazed state.

"Jump!" Lana shouted.

The three of them leapt out the window just as the train fell out of the anti-gravity track. It crashed into the nearby mountain range, the cars all smashing into each other to create a loud, dusty explosion. The front car landed right-side up on one of the ledges, so there would've been a very small chance of survival had they stayed inside.

Seyje rolled to her feet and helped Lana and Saiyah up. Saiyah was in a state of shock, judging by the glazed-over look in her eyes. She yelped in surprise as she was suddenly back-handed across the face.

"What the frack, Seyje?" Saiyah cursed.

"Focus," Seyje snapped. "You can mourn once we're back on Odessan. Right now, we need to stop that shuttle."

She pointed to the top of the mountain where the outline of a ship was hidden in a cloud of dust. Saiyah exhaled quietly, nodding in agreement.

"You're right. Mission first," she breathed.

Seyje placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. The memories of Quinn's betrayal seared through her mind, and she would be hard-pressed to admit that some days it still stung. Not nearly as bad anymore, but back then, she never would've guessed she would end up reliving the entire scenario.

"Lana and I have your back," Seyje confirmed.

Saiyah nodded, inhaling slowly as she refocused her mind. The three of them began making their way across the rocky terrain towards a path that led up the mountain. No one spoke for a long time. They didn't need words to feel the agony radiating off of Saiyah. As they were crossing a deep crevice, Lana reached out a hand towards the Jedi.

"Commander…are you all right?" she asked apologetically. "I know this must be hitting you especially hard."

Saiyah didn't say anything, merely looking over at Lana and giving her a small nod. The two Sith exchanged a worried glance. Whatever the result of this situation led to, it was not going to be good.

The trio reached the top of the first mountain ledge and walked right into the debris of the train crash. Though it had looked like the front car had endured the explosions, Seyje quickly learned otherwise. The entire interior of the car had been tossed about like a salad, leaving wires and metal scattered across the Umbaran landscape. Her gut churned as she realized that had almost been their fate.

A voice overhead startled the three of them. "Not surprised you survived the crash. I didn't think it would be that easy. But it buys me enough time to get off-world."

A grim expression crossed Seyje's face as she listened to the nonchalant tone in Theron's voice. There was something going on that they didn't know about, and whatever it was had turned their best spy against them. What could possibly be such a horrible threat that would cause him to do this?

Saiyah looked around in the air, as if trying to pinpoint the source of her lover's voice. "Theron, come back. We can talk about this," she begged.

"We're long past that," Theron snarled.

A beep indicated he had disconnected the call, and Saiyah sighed in disappointment. Lana shook her head, placing her hands on her hips.

"I don't understand, how did I not see this coming?" Lana lamented. "Was I really that blind?"

Saiyah's gaze fell to the ground. "If anyone was blind, it was me," she murmured. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "We were…"

She went silent as a lump formed in her throat. Did Lana even fully understand? She did from a friendship point of view, but Theron was not just a friend to Saiyah. He was the man Saiyah had dedicated herself to after her previous husband disappeared. Seyje already knew exactly how Saiyah felt, and now she was seeing Quinn's betrayal from an entirely new perspective. The pain was so much worse than anything she could've prepared herself for.

"I know," Lana said quickly to fill the silence. "I'm sorry, Commander."

Seyje walked forwards out of the train debris. "Come on. We still have a ways to climb."

The trio resumed their journey upwards. They were close to the top when the roar of engines filled their ears, and hiss of anger slipped past Seyje's lips as she broke out into a run. Saiyah and Lana followed closely behind. As they came upon a flat plateau, they saw a ship lifting off with Theron standing on the exit ramp.

"This isn't over, Theron!" Seyje yelled out angrily.

Theron looked down on them. For just a brief second, he had that familiar sinking feeling in his gut, but was quick to shove it to the back of his mind. "No," he called out. "This is just beginning."


	3. Chapter 3

It had been relatively easy to dispose of the droid Theron left behind, and the flight back to Odessan had felt much shorter than usual. Being back on the planet now, however, was proving to be much more difficult than anticipated. Alliance members who had been around since the beginning had immediately noticed Theron was missing, and then the rumors had begun.

Seyje and Lana were now hovering over the small console Theron had been standing over less than twenty four hours prior.

"How bad?" Seyje asked quietly.

"It's too soon to tell for sure, but from what I've gathered so far, it's not looking good," Lana replied grimly.

Seyje exhaled loudly, turning and leaning her back against the edge of the console. Her head turned towards the hallway at the sound of footsteps, and to no surprise, Saiyah entered the small cavern. Her eyes were red and puffy. She hadn't slept a wink on the flight back to Odessan, but then again, neither did anyone else.

As soon as they had landed on home territory, Lana had stayed up all night running reconnaissance on Iokath. Despite the disruption on Umbara, the Alliance still had a secondary mission to focus on.

"We recovered most of the Adegan crystals. Once we tap into their power, Iokath is as good as ours," Lana reported.

"And Theron?" Saiyah asked wearily.

Lana's expression fell. "Word of his betrayal is spreading quickly. My agents are running damage control, but…it will be weeks before we know how much harm he inflicted."

Saiyah's already white face seemed to pale even more, and Seyje began to wonder if she should take up the helm of Commander once more. There was no way her sister was going to be able to focus after a betrayal like this. It had taken her weeks to recover after Quinn had done the same thing to her.

Lana shook her head, her voice shaking slightly. "Even with the truth out in the open, I can hardly believe Theron was the traitor," she said in shock.

 _Neither can I._

Saiyah took a few steps back to sit down on a crate. "I loved him…" she murmured, her voice a mix of despair and confusion. "I'm still trying to figure out where the lies stopped and the truth began."

"We'll be piecing that mystery together for months," Lana remarked. She crossed her arms across her chest as her voice shifted to a slightly more aggressive tone. "We should brace ourselves for Theron's next move."

"He would be foolish to move against us like that again," Seyje snarled angrily.

Seyje's chest tightened as Saiyah's disheartened gaze found hers, but she didn't take back the threat. Seyje was upset for a number of reasons that her sister wouldn't understand right now. Not only had she been right about Theron's betrayal, but something about the whole scenario just felt off to her. His behavior and overall choice of words were lies meant to lead them away from whatever he was trying to hide from the Alliance.

Seyje's gaze shifted back to Lana. "Find out what Jace Malcolm knows – and try to locate Satele Shan," she suggested, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

"I already have feelers digging into Satele's whereabouts," Lana confirmed. "I'll being the hunt at once."

Lana turned back to the console and began typing away at the screen. Saiyah pushed herself off of the crate to stand, catching the attention of both Sith.

"Before you start, I want to send a message to Theron," Saiyah said as she moved in front of the console. Her gait was slightly uneven.

Seyje raised a brow. "Saiyah, are you sure? You don't look fully recovered yet."

Saiyah nodded. "I know you're worried Seyje, but this is something I _have_ to do."

Seyje bowed her head to her sister, silently respecting the choice. It was one she had never been given with Quinn. At least this way, Saiyah would be able to have at least a little peace of mind about the betrayal.

Saiyah looked over to Lana. "Open a holochannel and prepare to broadcast it across the galaxy."

"Clearing channels now," Lana said. "What message will you send the traitor?"

Seyje's brow furrowed at Lana's choice of word. She hated the word traitor. It made Theron sound evil, and they all knew he was the exact opposite.

 _There_ must _be a reason he did this. I have to find out what it is._

Saiyah took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve before speaking. She sounded much more confident in her words than Seyje initially accredited her for.

"This is the Commander of the Eternal Alliance. I have a message for my old friend… Theron Shan."

She paused, and Seyje could feel her sister struggling to keep her composure. Simply saying his name caused her physical pain. Yet Saiyah continued on, retaining the image of a strong Alliance Commander.

"We've been through a lot together, Theron," she said softly. "In your honor, I am dedicating a hundred Eternal fleet ships to the fight for peace."

Across the galaxy, the blue holographic image of Saiyah hovered above the dashboard of a stolen starship. A gloved hand reached out and to turn the volume a little louder.

"Return to the Alliance, and these ships will be yours to command. We can end the cycle of war, but we have to work together," the image of Saiyah said.

She paused for a moment, and Theron's eyes were glued to her. He hadn't meant a word of what he had said on the train, and yet her speech was a direct response to it. Saiyah's hand extended forward, as if she was reaching out to him as her soft voice once again filled the space in the tiny cockpit.

"I love you Theron. Come home."

Theron's resolve cracked right then and there. What right did he have to lie to her like this? What had Saiyah done to deserve such a bitter knife in the back? Absolutely nothing. She was kind, courageous, and far more dedicated to him than any normal Jedi should be.

"I love you too…but I can't," Theron whispered hoarsely.

Maybe one day she would understand and forgive him. Or maybe she wouldn't. It was a risk he _had to_ take, or the entire Alliance would crumble under their feet. Everything he had helped her and Seyje build would be for nothing if this threat wasn't eliminated. _That_ was why he was enduring the lie. Making sure that his captors would believe him and give him access to their secrets.

With a sharp exhale, Theron reached out and flipped a switch, replacing the image of Saiyah with a hooded figure. He wore a mask and spoke with a robotic voice.

"So…You did as we asked. We had our doubts, but now we see your dedication to the cause."

Theron sat patiently, silently praying he would get the answer he had been waiting for.

"We've reached a decision," the figure proclaimed. "Theron Shan, welcome…to the Order."

A set of coordinates immediately appeared on his navicomputer. Theron inputted them, and an unfamiliar location appeared on the screen. He set a course and readied the ship for hyperspace.

 _I've got them now. Just…please wait up for me, Saiyah. I promised to do whatever I needed to protect you. Hopefully, one day you'll understand. If not, then I…just, please try to._

The stars around him warped into long, thin white lines as the ship began its jump.

 _I'm doing this for you._


	4. Chapter 4

Beeping from the center console startled Seyje out of her trance, and her gaze moved to the communicator in the middle of her ship's lounge as her brow furrowed.

 _No one has called me on the Fury in years…who would start now?_

The Darth hesitantly approached the console, and a knot twisted in her gut as she recognized the holonumber. Blue light fizzed into focus as the caller's image appeared.

"Seyje," the slender figure greeted.

Her head was partially hidden inside a white hood lined with black, and the upper portion of her outfit was form-fitted to her body. The lower body portion hung in loose thick threads that occasionally showed the tricolored leggings she wore beneath. It gave her the appearance of the sniper she truly was.

"Kieyla," Seyje snarled angrily, "Your timing is horrendous. Theron already revealed himself as the traitor."

"I know."

The Sith's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, _you know_?" she snapped, the realization dawning on her face seconds later. "You already know his plan, don't you?"

The former Cipher Nine nodded. "Indeed. Retracing his steps took my agents much longer than I anticipated. This new threat poses more risks than I could've imagined."

The knots in Seyje's stomachs twisted even tighter at those words. She didn't know much about Kieyla's network, but she knew enough that the Tsuga spies were quite literally embedded in every corner of the galaxy. They were the reason Kieyla had known Seyje was even on her ship in the first place. Such realizations were disconcerting at times, but Kieyla had made it clear a long time ago that her network only interfered with the natural course of societies when it was absolutely necessary.

This was one of those times.

"You and I both know that Theron Shan is the best spy the SIS has had in a long time," Kieyla began. "Despite my best attempts to keep your Alliance monitored, Theron someone managed to slip secret transmissions beneath our radar. The agent responsible for watching him has been removed for incompetence, but I digress. What we discovered was nothing short of shocking."

The former Cipher gazed down at Seyje with a critical eye.

"Are you familiar with an organization called The Order of Zildrog?" she inquired.

Seyje stiffened.

"Those lunatics on Zakuul? I dealt with their leader a long time ago."

Kieyla shook her head. "You cut off the head of the beast, but its heart was left beating, and it grew another.

"Theron Shan discovered this information before my own agents, which is both troubling and infuriating. I can provide you with the information I have, but that is all."

Seyje sighed heavily. Losing the support of the former Cipher Nine was yet another major blow to the Alliance, but with this new information Kieyla had discovered, they would find a way to persevere.

 _We always do_.

"I understand. What can you tell me?"

"What I am about to share with you cannot, under any circumstances, be shared with your allies, Seyje," Kieyla stated coldly.

An irritated snarl slipped past the Sith's lips. "Why the hell not?"

"The Order of Zildrog has eyes everywhere, including your base," Kieyla snapped. "I am fortunate you chose to retreat to your ship where they have not yet tainted with their presence. If you reveal their plans too early, you risk Theron Shan's life in the process and the lives of every being on Odessan."

Seyje inhaled slowly, letting out the breath with a sigh.

"I don't even want to know how you know that" – she shook her head – "What can you tell me about these fanatics?"

"They are currently being led by a former Horizon Guard known as Vinn Atris. He reformed the Order by uniting those on Zakuul who hate the Alliance for destroying their way of life, and intends to reawaken Zildrog in order to tear it down.

"I do not yet know how he intends to do this or where it will occur, but I do know that Theron's betrayal to your sister is merely a deception."

A harsh chuckle came from the Sith.

"He's playing the role of a spy all over again…just like Rishii," she muttered bitterly. "Only this time, he had a choice."

Seyje looked up again as she heard urgent voices in the background of the holo. Kieyla sighed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, but it appears I am once again needed elsewhere," she remarked disappointedly.

"You've done all you can. That is enough," Seyje assured her. "Thank you, Kieyla."

The former Cipher Nine bowed and the transmission was cutoff. Seyje remained standing where she was, her mind mulling over the agent's words.

This was a very real threat. Of that, she had no doubt. But for Theron to willingly put his life on the line in order to root the Order out – it painted the entire scenario in a much darker light than Seyje initially wanted to admit.

The Alliance was in danger.

And until her team knew more about Theron's plans, she could say nothing to help them stop it.


End file.
